Men's Preseason ECAC Hockey League Polls Released

Sep 25, 2006

Men's Preseason ECAC Hockey League Polls Released

ALBANY, N.Y. - According to this year's preseason coaches and
media polls, Colgate is the team to beat in the ECAC Hockey League
this season. The Raiders claimed the top spot in both preseason
men's polls this year, but according to the poll results, it will
be another battle en route to the 2007 league crown.

Colgate earned the No. 1 spot on the coaches list with 108 total
points and three first-place votes. Clarkson and Harvard tied for
second with 101 points each, however, the Golden Knights captured
the most first-place votes with five and the Crimson earned four.
Cornell and Dartmouth tied for the No. 4 position with 95 points
each, followed by St. Lawrence (67), Quinnipiac (60), Union (54),
Rensselaer (41), Princeton (34), Brown (18) and Yale (18).

In the media poll, the Raiders claimed the most first-place
votes with 11 and 222 overall points. Harvard ranks second with 208
points and two first-place votes, while Dartmouth is third with 195
points and five first-place nods. Cornell (178) and Clarkson (173)
check in at No. 4 and 5, respectively, with one first-place vote
each. Quinnipiac finished sixth in the media voting with 139
points, followed by St. Lawrence (123), Union (93), Rensselaer
(71), Princeton (69), Yale (54) and Brown (35).

Several top performers return to this year's league lineups,
including preseason all-league pick Tyler Burton and returning
Goaltender of the Year, Mark Dekanich, both from Colgate.
Quinnipiac defenseman, Reid Cashman, who is also a preseason
selection, is a returning All-American.

The preseason polls were released as part of the ECAC Hockey
League's annual Media Day event.

The men's season opens Friday, Oct. 6, when St. Lawrence,
Clarkson, Quinnipiac, Union and Colgate take to the ice against
outside opponents. The first league game of the season takes place
Friday, Oct. 27, when Harvard travels to Dartmouth.